NURS 5220 Exam 1 – Health Assessment
University of Texas at Arlington | 2026 |
Foundations of Health Assessment
Section 1: The Health History & Interviewing (Questions 1–
60)
1. The most important component of the health assessment is?
A. Physical examination
B. Health history
C. Laboratory tests
D. Vital signs
Rationale: The history guides the entire assessment and diagnosis.
2. Which is an example of an open-ended question?
A. "Do you have chest pain?"
B. "Tell me about your symptoms."
C. "Is the pain sharp?"
D. "Does it hurt when you cough?"
Rationale: Open-ended questions allow patients to narrate their experience.
3. The mnemonic OLD CARTS is used to assess?
A. Family history
B. Characteristics of a symptom
C. Past medical history
D. Social history
Rationale: OLD CARTS: Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating factors,
Relieving factors, Timing, Severity.
4. A patient reports chest pain that occurs with exertion and resolves with rest. This
describes?
A. Quality
B. Timing and relieving factors
C. Location
D. Severity
Rationale: Exertional onset and rest relief = timing and relieving factors.
,5. Which question best assesses the severity of a patient's pain?
A. "Is it sharp or dull?"
B. "On a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being worst, what is your pain?"
C. "Where is the pain located?"
D. "How long have you had the pain?"
Rationale: Numeric rating scale quantifies severity.
6. A patient reports "I feel like the room is spinning." This is best described as?
A. Lightheadedness
B. Vertigo
C. Presyncope
D. Dizziness
Rationale: Vertigo = sensation of movement (self or environment).
7. A patient reports "I feel like I'm going to faint when I stand up." This is?
A. Vertigo
B. Presyncope
C. Syncope
D. Disequilibrium
Rationale: Presyncope = feeling of impending faint without loss of consciousness.
8. The review of systems (ROS) is a systematic review of?
A. Past medical conditions
B. Body systems for current or past symptoms
C. Family history
D. Social history
Rationale: ROS is a head-to-toe symptom inventory.
9. Which is a component of the past medical history?
A. Occupation
B. Childhood illnesses
C. Diet
D. Living situation
Rationale: PMH includes medical, surgical, hospitalization, and immunization history.
10. A patient reports "my father had a heart attack at age 50." This should be
documented in?
A. Past medical history
B. Family history
C. Social history
,D. Review of systems
Rationale: Family history includes health of blood relatives.
11. The CAGE questionnaire screens for?
A. Depression
B. Alcohol use disorder
C. Anxiety
D. Dementia
Rationale: CAGE: Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener.
12. A patient reports "I've lost 15 pounds unintentionally in 2 months." This is a?
A. Review of systems finding
B. Constitutional symptom
C. Past medical history
D. Family history
Rationale: Unintentional weight loss is a constitutional symptom.
13. Which question is most appropriate to assess a patient's functional status?
A. "What medications do you take?"
B. "Can you bathe, dress, and prepare meals independently?"
C. "Do you have any allergies?"
D. "Have you had any surgeries?"
Rationale: ADLs and IADLs assess functional status.
14. A patient reports "I wake up gasping for air at night." This is documented as?
A. Orthopnea
B. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND)
C. Dyspnea on exertion
D. Platypnea
Rationale: PND = awakening with shortness of breath.
15. A patient reports needing to sleep propped up on three pillows to breathe
comfortably. This is?
A. PND
B. Orthopnea
C. Dyspnea
D. Tachypnea
Rationale: Orthopnea = dyspnea relieved by sitting upright.
16. A patient reports "I see double." This is documented as?
A. Amblyopia
B. Diplopia
, C. Nystagmus
D. Strabismus
Rationale: Diplopia = double vision.
17. A patient reports "I hear ringing in my ears." This is documented as?
A. Vertigo
B. Tinnitus
C. Presbycusis
D. Otalgia
Rationale: Tinnitus = ringing, buzzing, or hissing.
18. A patient reports "I have black, tarry stools." This is documented as?
A. Hematochezia
B. Melena
C. Hemoptysis
D. Hematemesis
Rationale: Melena = black tarry stool from upper GI bleeding.
19. A patient reports coughing up blood. This is documented as?
A. Hematemesis
B. Hemoptysis
C. Epistaxis
D. Hematochezia
Rationale: Hemoptysis = coughing blood from respiratory tract.
20. A patient reports vomiting blood. This is documented as?
A. Hemoptysis
B. Hematemesis
C. Melena
D. Hematochezia
Rationale: Hematemesis = vomiting blood.
21. Which question best screens for depression in primary care?
A. "Are you sad?"
B. "Over the past 2 weeks, have you felt down, depressed, or hopeless?"
C. "Do you have suicidal thoughts?"
D. "How is your sleep?"
*Rationale: PHQ-2 is validated; first question screens for depression.*
22. A patient reports "I feel like my heart is skipping beats." This is documented as?
A. Tachycardia
B. Palpitations
University of Texas at Arlington | 2026 |
Foundations of Health Assessment
Section 1: The Health History & Interviewing (Questions 1–
60)
1. The most important component of the health assessment is?
A. Physical examination
B. Health history
C. Laboratory tests
D. Vital signs
Rationale: The history guides the entire assessment and diagnosis.
2. Which is an example of an open-ended question?
A. "Do you have chest pain?"
B. "Tell me about your symptoms."
C. "Is the pain sharp?"
D. "Does it hurt when you cough?"
Rationale: Open-ended questions allow patients to narrate their experience.
3. The mnemonic OLD CARTS is used to assess?
A. Family history
B. Characteristics of a symptom
C. Past medical history
D. Social history
Rationale: OLD CARTS: Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating factors,
Relieving factors, Timing, Severity.
4. A patient reports chest pain that occurs with exertion and resolves with rest. This
describes?
A. Quality
B. Timing and relieving factors
C. Location
D. Severity
Rationale: Exertional onset and rest relief = timing and relieving factors.
,5. Which question best assesses the severity of a patient's pain?
A. "Is it sharp or dull?"
B. "On a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being worst, what is your pain?"
C. "Where is the pain located?"
D. "How long have you had the pain?"
Rationale: Numeric rating scale quantifies severity.
6. A patient reports "I feel like the room is spinning." This is best described as?
A. Lightheadedness
B. Vertigo
C. Presyncope
D. Dizziness
Rationale: Vertigo = sensation of movement (self or environment).
7. A patient reports "I feel like I'm going to faint when I stand up." This is?
A. Vertigo
B. Presyncope
C. Syncope
D. Disequilibrium
Rationale: Presyncope = feeling of impending faint without loss of consciousness.
8. The review of systems (ROS) is a systematic review of?
A. Past medical conditions
B. Body systems for current or past symptoms
C. Family history
D. Social history
Rationale: ROS is a head-to-toe symptom inventory.
9. Which is a component of the past medical history?
A. Occupation
B. Childhood illnesses
C. Diet
D. Living situation
Rationale: PMH includes medical, surgical, hospitalization, and immunization history.
10. A patient reports "my father had a heart attack at age 50." This should be
documented in?
A. Past medical history
B. Family history
C. Social history
,D. Review of systems
Rationale: Family history includes health of blood relatives.
11. The CAGE questionnaire screens for?
A. Depression
B. Alcohol use disorder
C. Anxiety
D. Dementia
Rationale: CAGE: Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener.
12. A patient reports "I've lost 15 pounds unintentionally in 2 months." This is a?
A. Review of systems finding
B. Constitutional symptom
C. Past medical history
D. Family history
Rationale: Unintentional weight loss is a constitutional symptom.
13. Which question is most appropriate to assess a patient's functional status?
A. "What medications do you take?"
B. "Can you bathe, dress, and prepare meals independently?"
C. "Do you have any allergies?"
D. "Have you had any surgeries?"
Rationale: ADLs and IADLs assess functional status.
14. A patient reports "I wake up gasping for air at night." This is documented as?
A. Orthopnea
B. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND)
C. Dyspnea on exertion
D. Platypnea
Rationale: PND = awakening with shortness of breath.
15. A patient reports needing to sleep propped up on three pillows to breathe
comfortably. This is?
A. PND
B. Orthopnea
C. Dyspnea
D. Tachypnea
Rationale: Orthopnea = dyspnea relieved by sitting upright.
16. A patient reports "I see double." This is documented as?
A. Amblyopia
B. Diplopia
, C. Nystagmus
D. Strabismus
Rationale: Diplopia = double vision.
17. A patient reports "I hear ringing in my ears." This is documented as?
A. Vertigo
B. Tinnitus
C. Presbycusis
D. Otalgia
Rationale: Tinnitus = ringing, buzzing, or hissing.
18. A patient reports "I have black, tarry stools." This is documented as?
A. Hematochezia
B. Melena
C. Hemoptysis
D. Hematemesis
Rationale: Melena = black tarry stool from upper GI bleeding.
19. A patient reports coughing up blood. This is documented as?
A. Hematemesis
B. Hemoptysis
C. Epistaxis
D. Hematochezia
Rationale: Hemoptysis = coughing blood from respiratory tract.
20. A patient reports vomiting blood. This is documented as?
A. Hemoptysis
B. Hematemesis
C. Melena
D. Hematochezia
Rationale: Hematemesis = vomiting blood.
21. Which question best screens for depression in primary care?
A. "Are you sad?"
B. "Over the past 2 weeks, have you felt down, depressed, or hopeless?"
C. "Do you have suicidal thoughts?"
D. "How is your sleep?"
*Rationale: PHQ-2 is validated; first question screens for depression.*
22. A patient reports "I feel like my heart is skipping beats." This is documented as?
A. Tachycardia
B. Palpitations
